It’s been a while…
July 15th, 2008 by John
It’s half way through July and our last post was in May. We have been very busy with family issues.
Sadly , in the last six months, we have had to watch GiGi slip a little further each day down the path of no return. She has been in and out of the hospital a number of times and currently she is stuck in a nursing home for rehab.
Her faculties have degraded to the point that toileting and walking have become problematic; even more so than before. Reading and watching television no longer interest her either. She spends her days just staring at the wall and dozing on and off. She knows that things aren’t right but she can’t seem to articulate her thoughts very well any more.
It’s tough caring for someone at the end of their life, but it’s even tougher caring for someone else’s parent. I love GiGi and it is a joy and a blessing to care for her in the end of her life but now that the end seems a little closer there are suddenly all of these concerns being voiced from abroad. I want everyone to be happy with the choices that we make for GiGi but that isn’t always possible.
Going through all of this has made me realize a few things though.
1. Mobility is everything.
Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done. I plan on pushing myself physically in my old age. I will not just sit around. Retirement is not a reward to be squandered. Old age does not entitle you to sit and nap all day. The reward for doing so in the short run is far outstripped by the atrophy one incurs from doing so in the long run.
2. I want to die near my children.
I don’t care what it takes. I gave them 18-25 years of my life they can give some time up for me. Hopefully I will raise my kids in a such a way that they will want me around in the end. Regardless I expect them to be near me and I expect daily communication. Children are a parents anchor in this world; or at least they should be.
3. Whatever money I plan on leaving to my family will be doled out before I die.
When I’m dying I do not want the focus to be on my cash. Maybe I will get some elder insurance and towards the end give out what needs to be given out.
4. My mother will not see a nursing home unless she is crazy.
Having seen nursing homes I can understand why my mother fears them. I will do whatever I have to do to keep my mother comfortable in residence in the end.
If you love GiGi please pray for her. She is very sad. She knows that she is probably going to have to stay in a nursing home and all that she ever wanted was to die in her own bed near her family. To this end I feel like I’m failing her and she isn’t even my mother.
She sees us everyday and she lights up when we walk into her room. Sometimes she looks so happy that she might cry. If you are able, take a little trip to NY to visit her. We will give you a free place to stay.
-John
The days…
May 18th, 2008 by caren
Sometimes I feel like this…
(Hint: it has to be Sunday May 18’s comic 
)
Mother’s Day
May 11th, 2008 by caren
Today, I woke up thinking that I wouldn’t get a day off. Mother’s Day is supposed to be for mothers, right? I grumbled in my head about the fact that my husband would be sleeping all day, and wouldn’t get a chance to pamper me or to show the girls how special I am. I came down stairs and saw the messy kitchen from yesterday that needed to be clean. I just knew that I would be the one clean it, even though its supposed to be my day. My day to rest. My day to be told how great I am.
So I did the dishes. I didn’t say a word to John about how I thought he should do them, I just did them. And I felt better. I got the girls ready for church. I helped Grandma with her hair and gave everyone breakfast. I did my job, and I was okay with that. Church was nice; everyone said “Happy Mother’s Day” to everyone else, and then Grandma bought us lunch. We came home and went directly outside and ate it. The girls played in the new Elmo Sprinkler that Grammy & Papa got them, and we just relaxed.
I feel good. My friend Jen wrote this for her mother’s day post, and I think its great. She has such a great perspective and is very honest about her life. You should go read it. Its very refreshing.
Motherhood is hard. At times, I know I have no idea what to do or how to handle life. The truth is, its not all about me. Its about family, and appreciating everyone that God gives us. My kids are great. They love me, they love life, and I love them. I also know that God is in control. He loves me, He loves my family, and He has our best interests in mind. On mother’s day, thats really all I need.
Happy Mother’s Day Everyone!
I’m a Big Girl now!
May 9th, 2008 by caren
Today, for the first time EVER, Katy used the potty! We’re so proud of her, and very excited to see if it happens again! Yay for Katy!
This is her, eating the ice cream that we gave her after she went on the potty!
Angry Darwinians
April 16th, 2008 by John
I noticed that there is a new documentary by Ben Stein (”Expelled”) that is set to hit the theaters very soon. The premise is that even though there is a guarantee of free speech in America anyone that questions Neo-Darwinism is subject to ridicule. Those in the academic world face ostracization and possibly even the loss of their job. Often they are denigrated because they are simply raising questions about the rather obvious gaps in the evolutionary theory.
I’ve seen this in my personal life. I rarely make the argument that Jesus made everything that we see though. I simply state that the complexity of life seems to render inert the belief that, in a chance occasion, lightning struck a mud puddle with the correct order and concentration of amino acids thus creating life. I’m to believe that this lightning strike created a single cell that somehow contained DNA too by the way. Somehow this strike not only created life, an amazing feat alone, but it also gave this new cell the knowledge necessary to reproduce or divide or whatever. I’m sorry but I have a problem believing this. Believing in a God or alien or whatever that created our little blue planet and everything on it seems no more far fetched; at least to me.
As I was saying, I don’t usually go right out and say that Jesus did all this (though for the record this is what I believe) I just say that the whole evolutionary tale of chance inorganic to organic conversion seems kind of unlikely. I do believe though that if a powerful intelligent being wanted to create life in this way that it could happen I guess.
This kind of thinking is dangerous for some reason. I have a theory as to why. It all starts with the two observations about humanity. 1. We all seem to have this need to know how we arrived here and 2. (driven by number one) We are all hyper aware of our mortality.
As far back as we have recorded history man has always sought some kind of explanation for why/how everything exists. It usually involved some god/s, though the ancient Greek philosophers would have been keen on Darwin’s theory. We don’t like to be out of the loop on this sort of thing. We just have to know. As the centuries of recorded history piled on, finding “the truth” became harder and harder as man invented more religions and philosophies to explain everything.
Today Neo-Darwinism, with its atheistic underpinnings, has cleared the slate and eased our minds. Within this construct there is no angry god or hell for the wicked. No one to answer to for what I’ve done here. In fact this is pretty much it, so live it up and do what seems right in your own eyes. This kind of thinking is the root of Postmodernism.
By challenging Neo-Darwinism you create a lot of anxiety. When someone questions Neo-Darwinism they generate a lot of angry reactions from people that want to silence any dissent. Why? We are usually told that these people are stupid or ignorant but if they really are that stupid or ignorant then whatever “evidence” they have to offer should be easily refuted in a calm and polite fashion. I believe that you see a lot of very angry responses because to question Darwin is to upset their reality and maybe, just maybe, you may provide the necessary evidence to put mankind back to square one; searching through the numerous religions and philosophies. It’s easier to be numb and take evolution at face value than to think of the horrible alternative… not knowing.
Don’t believe me? Google Intelligent Design or do a search on www.youtube.com and just look at the comments from those holding to Neo-Darwinism. Their anger is usually spelled out in four letter words often with such rage that they all but threaten the originating author’s life. Who cares what John Story believes? If my world view is that crazy then let me be crazy. This is America right? And don’t we all agree that there are no absolutes anyway?
Here is a great article that is far more articulate than what I’ve written thus far.
The Office
April 13th, 2008 by John
Here are some very funny clips from The Office
The best advice
Bear Advice
The best Office couple
The best way to defend yourself from an attack
Are Wolves Dangerous?
Christmas Goose: “It’s a Christmas Miracle!”
Ummm…OK
Diversity day
How to get the girl
Michael Scoot on Wikipedia
“I put out candy so the kids will come and talk to me…like the witch in Hansel and Gretel”
Coffee
Office Experiment
Office Magic
Poor Toby
Cell Phone Prank
Tape the meetings
Pete the Horse
April 10th, 2008 by John
Every night after supper GiGi asks to go for a walk down the street to see Pete the horse. Tonight, for the first time, she abandoned her walker by the side of the street and went off-roading to feed the horse a carrot. Here is a video.
Maire also fed the horse. She feeds him daily.
